A Year Ago Today
by mcgirl
Summary: Its been one year since Rosslyn and one year since Josh had been shot. This is not a story where he is dead but this is alternate universe.
1. Default Chapter

Disclaimer: None of these characters or the show is mine. I am making no profit off of this. The characters I create though are mine.

Summary: Its been one year since Rosslyn and one year since he had been shot. This is alternate universe.

Other Info: I decided to change it a little bit. There are stories where Josh is dead but this story is where Josh is alive but in a coma. Please read and review.

Exactly one year since Rosslyn

It had been one year, one year since Rosslyn, one year since he had been shot. He was young, he was smart and he was too young for this to happen but he it had and there was nothing they could do about it. This type of thing was not suppose to happen to people that you knew, it always happened to other people's friends but this time it was their friend. The deputy chief of staff position was filled again but it would never be the same, because he was not Josh.

Toby still could not get that image out of his head especially today. He knew that he could not go into Josh's office; no he corrected himself that was not Josh's office anymore but Andrew's office. Josh was in a coma and nothing could change that. He remembered seeing Josh, helpless, the life slowly draining out of him. He remembered yelling for help and he remembered holding Josh's life draining out of him. He had not cried in a while but the night Josh was shot he did.

CJ sat in her office the press conference had gone by slowly but she was not physically there. One of her best friends was in a coma, a man that was always there for her when he needed to be but she could not be there for him. She wanted to scream to let her anger out, scream at someone, anyone particularly Josh because then he would be here.

Leo had promised Noah that he would take care of him and watch him but he didn't. He broke one of the most important promises he would ever give. He had been the one that brought him into the campaign and he had been the one that left him alone. He should have waited for him instead of leaving. He should have made sure that he was safe. Josh was the son that he never had and he loved him as if he was his own son. That night he thought about having a drink but he knew that that was the last thing that Josh would have ever wanted, so instead he cried, because he had lost his son maybe forever.

Donna missed him so much, Josh was more then a boss to her, they were friends but had a much deeper relationship then that that no one had known about until after the shooting. She loved him more then a friend. He was the man that she wanted to marry, the man that she wanted to spend the rest of her life now. She knew that Josh would want her to be happy and not be sad. It was so hard sometimes, she missed everything about him. She did not banter with Andrew or have the same relationship she had with Josh. She could never have another relationship like she had with Josh. Her relationship with Josh was a relationship that only came once in a lifetime.

Charlie blamed himself for the situation Josh's was in. Everyone had told him it wasn't his fault, but he did not believe it. Shortly after Josh fell into his coma, Charlie had broken up with Zoey. He did not quit his job because he knew Josh would not want that. If he quit his job he would not be doing what Josh wanted him to do and the shooters would win and he did not want that.

Sam hated today, he missed Josh so much. He was his best friend and would be his best friend forever whether he was dead or alive. He felt so helpless he should have done something. He should have been there with his best friend. He should have known that his best friend was dieing; maybe if someone had found him sooner he would be at work right now or at least be able to talk to him instead of being in a coma for a year. The doctors said that he would never wake up and that was the hardest part not really having closure.

President Josiah Bartlet was sitting at his desk at the oval office. They were going to have a meeting today but his son would not walk through that door today. He as everyone else always had hope that he would come out of his coma but the longer he was there the more the hope had dimmed.

Andrew Clasen was the interim deputy chief of staff. He knew they could never bear to make him deputy chief of staff even though it had been a year and five months since he became Leo's deputy. He once brought it up and the senior staff as well as the President looked at him like he had said the worst thing in the world. I think that they were getting closure to hiring him especially after the election which would take place soon. He knew he was not accepted either. Sure they asked him to join them sometimes and he did sometimes but he knew that they wished he was Josh instead of Andrew though they would never say it at least to him.

Abigail Bartlet consulted the doctors to see how Josh's progress was going but it was always the same. She had to see him today though she had not visited him in a few months. She owed him that much and sat by his bed praying that he would wake up and the Josh they knew would come back. She suddenly saw something that she had not seen his eyelids began to move and this was not something that happened unless a patient was coming out of the coma.

She ran out of the room to get the doctor. "Doctor something is happening I think he is waking up" she said. "Doctor Bartlet I know you and everyone else wants him to wake up but he has been in a coma for awhile and most likely will not wake up. You have to come to accept this." "Will you just come and see for a second, maybe I am wrong but maybe I am right."

He did what she said after all she was the first lady and not a person to mess around with especially when you have men holding loaded guns around her. He went to check on Josh and saw that he was awake and looked very confused and did not know where he was. The doctor checked on him and Abigail Bartlett went to call her husband and would later call Josh's mother.

Oval Office

The President was in the office with the senior staff and were talking but today was different because of what happened a year ago. They heard the phone ring and the President picked it up. "Hello," he said. "Jed, I have the best news that I have had in a long time." "I am in the middle of a senior staff meeting right now can you call back later" he said. "No, put me on the speaker phone right now. I promise you Jed it will be worth it." He reluctantly put her on speakerphone and told the staff that it was the first lady. All she said was "Josh is awake" and the room went dead silent.


	2. He's Awake

Disclaimer: None of these characters or the show is mine. I am making no profit off of this. The characters I create though are mine.

Summary: Its been one year since Rosslyn and one year since he had been shot. This is alternate universe.

Other Info: I am not sure what happens after a patient gets out of a coma. I also do not know Josh's mother's name so I made it up

CJ was the first one to talk. "What do you mean that he is awake? I thought the doctors said that he could not come out of that coma. Does he have brain damage or anything like that?" "I do not think so, but it will still be a long recovery process for him." "Have you called Josh's mother yet because she should know" Leo said. I do not know her number so I have not called her yet," Abbey said. "I'll call her" Leo said still shocked that he was awake. "So he is going to be alright. Will he ever be the Josh we know again" Toby said. "Is there a time that we can see him because I know that we just want to see it with our own eyes" the president said. I'll talk to the doctors and see what they think about you seeing him so soon. I am going to see if I can see him now, bye" Abbey said.

"Hey Josh" she said coming over to his bed. "Hello Dr. Bartlet how is everybody, are they o.k.? The doctor said that it has been one year since I have been awake" he said concerned I guess I lost my job to, but at least I'll get to see my mother more often and she want yell at me for never seeing her" he said trying to smile. "Everyone is fine Josh; they are all worried about you." "When can I see them, I really want to see them. I understand that they work at the Whitehouse and are busy but can they or I at least call them. I just need to talk to someone, not that I do not want to talk to you but how is my mom, does she know I am awake yet?" "Leo was calling her after the staff meeting and I am sure that she will come up as soon as possible." She thought that only Josh would be like this after a coma. He was basically concerned about everyone else, but himself.

Leo sat in his office and called Rebecca knowing that she would want to know as soon as possible. "Hey Rebecca, how are you doing." "Good is something wrong, is something wrong with Josh, is he dead." "No he is not dead, he woke up and I am sure he is talking to the first lady right now asking about everyone." Are you sure about this, the doctor said that he would never wake up' she said crying into the phone. "I am going to order the plane ticket for you. I'll see when the first flight comes to D.C. and call you back." "Thanks Leo, for watching over my son while I have been gone, goodbye" "Goodbye," Leo said.

He called Margaret and she came into Leo's office and said "yes." "I need you to book a plane ticket for Rebecca Lyman but make it one way though. "Margaret's face went pale and she said "he's dead isn't he Leo or is about to die." "No, he is alive and awake" Leo said smiling. She had not seen him smile since Rosslyn and it was good to see him smile again.

CONCLUDING INFO: I am thinking about Josh and Donna have a kid but he or she were born after the shooting. This might happen in the next chapter when Donna is told. What do you think? I always like having other people's opinion.


End file.
